


A Demon's Heart

by AvaFirebreather



Category: Hannibal (TV), Hannibal Lecter Series - All Media Types
Genre: Demon AU, Demon Hannibal, Demon Hannibal Lecter, Demons, Dreams, M/M, Spooky Hannibal Fic Exchange, Supernatural Elements, a little bit of graphic descriptions of violence, wills dogs - Freeform
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2018-11-01
Updated: 2018-11-01
Packaged: 2019-08-14 00:04:05
Rating: Not Rated
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 1
Words: 9,315
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/16482293
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/AvaFirebreather/pseuds/AvaFirebreather
Summary: With the death of Garrett Jacob Hobbs, Will Graham accidentally completed the summoning of The Demon Hannibal.





	A Demon's Heart

**Author's Note:**

  * For [jonnimir](https://archiveofourown.org/users/jonnimir/gifts).



> So I have been doing basically nothing but writing this thing the past week cause I'm a huge procrastinator and didn't get it done earlier.  
> I apologise for any mistakes, I did have it betaed but at like two in the morning so there are probably still a few mistakes. Feel free to point them out to me so I can fix them.
> 
> My giftee requested Demon Hannibal taking an interest in Will, with a few other outlines. Hopefully they enjoy what I did with that idea. 
> 
> (Also I'm so sorry for the late posting)

It was just a hunch, a nagging feeling in the back of Will's head that he followed through on.

And then suddenly there was blood and screams, and somebody dying at his feet that he couldn't save.

There was the loud sounds of gunshots and the thud of bodies dropping to the floor, and there was blood- on his face, in his mouth, and all over his hands- and he just couldn't stop it; his shaking hands refused to stem the life escaping from Abigail's neck. Her eyes were so full of fear and the plea to live, but he couldn't, he just couldn't seem to save her.

“Will.”

Suddenly time slowed down, and Will's eyes met blood-red ones, full of the promise of chaos.

And even though Will knew he wasn't real, that this was just another hallucination, the demon was a new one and Will wanted to believe that this one wouldn't leave him alone in all this death.

“Please,” fell from his lips, a desperate whisper from a hopeless man.

“Please save her.”

And the demon did.  
Fitting black-skinned, clawed hands over Will's as he saved Abigail.

#

Abigail was alive, that's what mattered. Will hoped if he repeated that enough times he would start to believe it himself.

His eyes flicked to the side, searching for the demon. But he stood alone. He wished that this one would have hung around; it didn't seem as bad as the rest.

The hallucinations had been haunting him most of his life. He'd learned at a young age not to talk about it after experiencing how society treated those who saw differently then everybody else, or, like him, that saw things that weren't there.  
But even after all those adults telling him what he saw wasn't real, he still didn't really believe them.

The things he saw some would call grotesque or disturbing, but after the first little while he'd grown used to it. Sometimes his hallucinations played with him, and he often chose them over other children as friends. His hallucinations never bullied him or called his Dad mean names, he told himself that even if they weren't real, they were better than the other children. In his heart though, he secretly hoped for them to be real.

But in the end he was always left alone, for his imaginary friends never stayed for long. Just before they left they always told him that it was time for them to go home, but no matter how Will screamed and pleaded they would never take him with them, each one would always say, “Now is not your time”. Will didn't understand what they meant by that, but he was tired of being left alone when his dad was gone.

And his Dad seemed to be gone all the time now; when he was home, he wasn't the same. Smelling weird, like the stuff you put on scraped knees, and being more prone to anger than he had ever been before. Will avoided him more and more as the days went by.

After a few years passed and Will got into high school, he stopped believing they were real.

For how could real friends always leave him in the end?

He started ignoring their presence, and eventually they stopped interacting with him.

But he never stopped seeing them.

And over the past few years after he'd quit homicide they'd been getting worse.

And the new ones, they weren't so friendly and they wouldn't accept being ignored.

They'd visit him most at night, tails twitching, bat-like wings flexing, and saliva dripping from their overly sharp teeth. Whispering about the murders he'd seen on TV, forcing him to acknowledge the things he'd know after seeing them, things the evidence didn't quite explain. They also liked to tell him in gory detail about the different ways to kill a man, how to peel the skin from their flesh and keep them alive while doing it, how to drive a person insane by the constant pricks of needles, and many other things Will wished he didn't hear, for his imagination did not need fuel to construct horrors.

When Jack came into his classroom like a whirlwind of chaos, Will hadn't wanted to help with the case. But at night the demons (for that was an apt description) would tell him about the dead girls all lined in a row, that they would keep dying if he didn't stop the killer from reaching his goal. For some reason he was getting worse and worse at blocking the demons’ poisonous whispers out.

Now he stood in front of yet another Psychiatrist’s door, this one grand yet tasteful. Will couldn't help wondering if there was anything he could've done to avoid coming this point in his life.

#

It had been some time since Hannibal had been to the human world. And as soon as he stepped through the gateway, he knew he would not be disappointed by this visit.

Blood and Carnage greeted him first, and in the center of it knelt an angel.

The name flowed into his mind, along with fresh power from the chaos and death around him, and he found himself speaking the name without quite meaning to.

“Will.”

The angel turned to him, piercing blue eyes full of desperation settling their gaze on him. 

“Please,” The angel said.

“Please save her.”

And Hannibal found he could not resist his plea, not simply because fulfilling that request would end the contract this Angel, Will, had just struck, but because he wished to rid those eyes of that desperation.

So, Hannibal listened, and he saved the mortal named Abigail.

#

It became clear that Will was not the one that had summoned him, but since he had killed the original summoner, Garret Jacob Hobbs, the right for contract had passed onto him. After Hannibal had accepted the sacrifices that Garrett Jacob Hobbs had done in his name, and the death Will had caused, he had healed Abigail. Thus fulfilling his contract.

That was when it had become evident that Will didn't understand what he'd stumbled into, for he had neglected to banish Hannibal back to the demon world.

And well, that was absolutely perfect for Hannibal. It had been awhile since he'd been able to move freely through the human world due to the strict bindings the more powerful demons were hindered by. If Hannibal hadn't already killed the ones that had done this to him, he would have skewered them and roasted them for an eternity.

Ah well, impulsiveness had gotten the better of him back then, but no matter. The existing restrictions shouldn't last for more than a few hundred more years, since there was no one capable of replacing the ones he had killed, he would be free to do as he wished once again. Not that he'd been doing enough to warrant being banned from the human world, he'd merely been killing a few pigs here and there.

Perhaps it had bothered them what he did to the pigs after he killed them, consuming human or demon flesh was not a normal occurrence among demons. Death and chaos in and of itself was enough to sustain them, Hannibal's way was unique.

To be honest most of the others demons had a healthy dose of fear for Hannibal as well, the ones that didn't were the higher level ones like Hannibal himself. None of them ever tried to hinder Hannibal's extra curricular activities, maybe because neither he nor they were quite sure who would be the victor among them, if there ever was a conflict between them.

After following Will Graham home so Hannibal would know where he could find him, and leaving a hellhound he'd summoned to keep an eye on Will for him, he was confident Will would take it in due to his intense love of dogs. Hannibal got re-acquainted with the world. Slaughtering a few pigs, creating just a tad bit of chaos, he had enough power to alter a few select minds.

And so he created the persona of Doctor Hannibal Lecter, a gentil of great standing in this society and a perfect reference for one Alana Bloom to give to Jack Crawford for Will Graham.

Hannibal could admit, he was rather interested to see how this would all turn out.

 

#

Dr. Lecter's office was nice, Will supposed, more roomy than it had need to be really in his opinion, but from what he gathered of the man he didn't seem inclined to do things in halves.

He was also giving Will space, avoiding making him feel cornered, so Will guessed Dr. Lecter deserved brownie points for that, or whatever the fancy equivalent of brownie Dr. Lecter would eat.

“Have you ever eaten a brownie?” Will asked, turning from where he had been studying a stag figurine.

Hannibal looked distinctly amused, “No, I can't say I have. But I don't believe we are meant to be discussing me during your time here”.

He leaned forward in his seat, eyes watching Will intensely.  
“Why is it that you think you are here, Mr. Graham?”

Will focused his eyes on his collar, not that that would fool Dr. Lecter into thinking that Will was actually looking at him, but at least it wasn't rude.

“ Please call me Will.”  
He paused for a moment before proceeding to answer, 

“Jack seems to think I'm in need of watching.”

“And what do you think Will?” Dr. Lecter asked.

Will took a minute to think that over, before carefully saying “I think I'm well enough to do my job.”

“Well does not mean optimal function though”.

“I suppose not,” Will murmured, taking the time to sit down for the first time since coming into the office.

There was silence for a time, unheavy, and though Will loathed to admit it, a bit soothing.

“Why do you think I'm here, Dr. Lecter?” Will asked quietly, unsure if he actually wanted to hear the answer.

“Do me the same courtesy and call me Hannibal,” he replied sitting back, before lapsing into a thoughtful silence.

“I think you are unmoored in an ocean” he finally said, “With nothing to keep you from floating too far from land”.

There was quiet again, before Hannibal broke it, sitting forward and regarding Will even more intensely than before.

“I could be your anchor, if you would let me”. 

Will smiled sadly, he seemed sincere but Will already knew that he was beyond fixing.

“I think I have some time before I get truly lost to the waves.”

Hannibal was hard to read but Will could detect that he was not entirely pleased when that answer. Nonetheless, after glancing at his watch he decided to let it go.

Hannibal stood first, moving over to his desk and stamping the top sheet of Will's papers. He handed them to Will when he stood.

“I’ll clear you for field work, but I want you to know my door is always open. Both as a psychiatrist and as friend.”

Will nodded numbly; he hadn't expected to be cleared, especially after he'd refused Hannibal's help.

Hannibal held his hand out to shake, and Will couldn't find it in him to refuse. The light but lingering touch of Hannibal's hand on his shoulder was unexpected but not entirely unpleasant.

“I hope to see you again, dear Will,’ Hannibal said, a warmth in his eyes that Will wouldn't have seen if he hadn't been shocked enough to accidentally meet his eyes.

“Maybe I'll come back sooner than I thought,” Will responded with a slight smile before walking out the door.

#

Will Graham was even more interesting than Hannibal had originally thought; he had finally found a human truly worth his time.

Will had come back like he'd said, and now they had a regular session every week. Although calling it that was merely a formality.

Today was one such scheduled session and Hannibal found himself unusually eager to see Will.

He was quite interested to see what Will and the FBI thought of his gifts.

He glanced down at his watch, Will was exactly five minutes late.

Although Hannibal wasn't prone to, he resisted getting up and pacing.

Finally a knock sounded on his door, Hannibal got up hurriedly taking a moment once he reached the door to compose himself, before letting a genuine smile grace his lips and opening the door.

“Will it is good to se-” he started before getting abruptly cut off by Will pushing past him.

Rude, more so then Will usually was, but of course as always Hannibal let it slide. He couldn't find it in himself to hold Will to the same standards as the rest of the world, Will was somehow above that in Hannibal's mind.

“There's a new murderer in town.” Will stated without permeable, sitting down in his seat with audible thunk

Hannibal slowly closed the door  
“Oh?” 

“And I can tell this one’s not going to be like the rest.” Will continued, rubbing his knuckle along his lips,

“Why do you say that?” Hannibal asked distractedly, his eyes zeroing in on his lips without meaning to. They looked soft; Hannibal absently wondered what they would taste like.

He caught himself, pulling his mind back on track and focusing on Will's eyes while taking his seat, although those were no less distracting.

“I could just see it.” Will said, struggling to find the right words to describe the feelings he knew to be true.

“Alright.” Hannibal replied, giving up that particular strand of questioning.

“Perhaps you could tell me what you saw.”

Will's eyes unfocused, seeing something that Hannibal didn't.

“They were swine to him, pigs to slaughter and nothing more. They served their purpose as a welcoming gift, and a show of just what exactly he could do.”

Will's eyes focused on Hannibal in front of him, “I don't think he's going to stop at three, he’s not new at this, this isn't his first taste of blood. If I had to guess I'd say this one is soaked to the bone in blood and carnage; his style, it felt perfected. The way he killed them, it felt…” Will trailed off for a moment, rolling the word around in his mouth before letting it taste the air, “Ancient.”

Hannibal hid a smile, clever boy. “Ancient? Why is it that word surfaces above others?”

Will chewed on his lip thinking, “It could be that he was replicating a string of murders that happened in the 1800 and 1900 hundreds.”

“Which was even more odd.” Will said tapping his fingers on his knee, “The murders weren't ritualistic, yet they perfectly matched the ones made hundreds of years ago, down to the organs missing and the Sounders of three.”

He was perfect, absolutely perfect, Hannibal thought. 

“What was the killer’s media name when they first started appearing?” Hannibal asked; he already knew the answer but he wished to hear it from Will's lips.

“The newspapers called him the Chesapeake Ripper.”

 

#

Hannibal opened his eyes and let himself breathe. He was home, even if it was only in dream.  
There was blissful silence all around, heavy with the presence that he was alone, but that was good- that's how Hannibal preferred it.

He started walking down the hallway, before an abnormal sound stopped him in his steps.

“Clack, clack, clack,” echoed through the hallway, breaking the silence that had been his companion for such a long time.

That wasn't right; he came here to be alone, away from confusing thoughts about the human Will Graham, away from all his idiotic patients. No one should be able to enter this place, for it was Hannibal’s alone.

But the sound of footsteps continued on, and Hannibal couldn't say he was surprised when it was none other then Will Graham that rounded the corner.

Will stopped at the sight of him, tilting his head like something wasn't quite right with what he was seeing before him, Hannibal supposed that could be due to the demon form he was currently in.

“I feel like I recognize you…” Will murmured.

Hannibal smiled slightly “Perhaps you've forgotten how we met.”

“Ah,” Will said, nodding his head in understanding, “I remember now”.

He turned from Hannibal, glancing around at his surroundings,

“Where am I exactly?” 

“You are in my home”. Hannibal replied.

Will turned back to him, a frown adorning his face,

“How did I get here?”

“You don't know?” Hannibal asked, surprised, for even though Hannibal didn't know how he had gotten here; he had assumed Will did.

The frown cleared from his face, and a small smile replaced it,

“I remember now, I was trying to find you. And it seems-” he continued with a sweep of his hands, “-That I did”.

Hannibal raised his eyebrows, “And why, if I may be so bold to ask, were you looking for me?”

Will looked surprised, “Shouldn't that be obvious? I came to thank you for saving Abigail's life”

Hannibal wasn't sure why, but he found himself slightly disappointed by that answer. Perhaps he had been hoping Will would seek him out for company? But no, that was a foolish thought he need not let clutter his mind.

“There is no need to thank me, I was merely doing my duty,” he responded coolly.

“I also wished to know why you didn't say goodbye,” Will suddenly interjected.

“What?” Hannibal asked, confused.

“Don't you know? All the demons say goodbye before they leave, even the less savory ones that I wish would not. But you,” He took a step closer, “Why didn't you do so?”

Others?! Hannibal thought, he was not the only demon Will had met? But he didn't seem to know Hannibal had been summoned. It had been clear to Hannibal that Will was suffering from hallucinations due to his physical state after the first few meetings, and that explained why he hadn't reacted like normal when Hannibal appeared before him, but other demons? That shouldn't be possible. Hannibal would know if more had been summoned near him.

And Hannibal didn't like the thought of other demons stealing away Will's focus, not one bit.

“What do you mean by other demons, Will? What exactly are you seeing?” Hannibal asked, careful to keep the urgency out of his voice.

Will laughed “You're starting to sound like my shrink.”

Hannibal tensed slightly, before relaxing. Even if Will noticed that his psychiatrist and this demon form looked eerily similar, he wouldn't think there was anything real going on.

“As to answer your question” Will responded, running an absent minded hand through his curls, “I've seen demons as long as I can remember.”

That, that wasn't right! Hannibal had evaluated that Will hadn't had any major childhood trauma, other then perhaps severe neglect. But if Will had been seeing things from such a young age until now, something other then matters of the mind was going on.

“Can you describe what you see Will?” Hannibal asked carefully.

Will shrugged, “This is a dream, so I don't suppose it matters much what I say here."  
He then proceeded to describe all the low level demons from Hannibal's world. Near the end of the description he even started describing what sounded like some higher level demons, unsavory types and of course nowhere near as high up as Hannibal.

And quite suddenly it clicked.

Will was no other then a seer.

#

As far as psychiatrists went Doctor Hannibal Lecter wasn't all that bad.

But there was just something about him that aggravated Will to his core.

Maybe it was that he was actually good at his job and not just a condescending prick like the rest, not to say he wasn't condescending or a prick, he was in fact both but somehow he pulled it off.

And he was just really fucking easy to talk to, which wasn't normal. Usually whenever Will came within ten feet of a shrink he clammed and retreated like a turtle into his shell. 

Damn the man with that voice of his and his god awful suits that he was always peacocking in, damn him even more for pulling them off and making them look good; stuff like that just shouldn't be possible.

Will sighed, absently scratching behind the ears of his newest dog Winston. He had shown up a few weeks prior, and had settled in with the other dogs relatively fast; now, he stuck to Will's side like glue whenever he could.

He supposed to most people seven dogs would be a bit too much, but Will was comfortable with that number.

Winston, Will had to admit, was the most well mannered of his dogs currently, despite being the newest, and though Will felt slightly disloyal to admit it, Winston was also well on his way to becoming one of his favorites.

Will wondered what Hannibal thought of dogs; it hadn't come up the few times they met and Hannibal had never been to Will's house before. It would be a pity if Hannibal didn't like dogs… Will stopped himself, what was he doing?! Hannibal wasn't a potential boyfriend, he was Will's psychiatrist and even if he was abnormally friendly sometimes that only meant they were maybe friends. Maybe, and Will still didn't really believe that.

Running an aggravated hand through his hair, Will stood and went outside to get some fresh air to clear his head.

As soon as he stepped out the door, he wished he hadn't. One of the more cruel type of demons awaited him outside.

He sat down, ignoring it in the hope it would leave him be.

“I know you can see me.” It hissed by his ear, and Will barely stopped himself from reacting.

The demon laughed, “No matter how long you close your eyes, you can't blind yourself to us little human.”

Will still didn't answer, the Demon sighed and started running it's claws through his hair, Will heard Winston start whining on the other side of the door.

“Foolish little human, it would be better for you to acknowledge us.”

It was quiet for a moment, “I'm here to warn you.”

Will twitched slightly at that. This kind of demon rarely did anything nice for Will. They seemed to love torturing him most, although none of them had attempted to harm him, which Will was glad for; he didn't want to know what hallucinated injuries looked like.

“I've got your attention now hmm?” The demon said with glee.

When Will refused to respond anymore, the demon continued, “You would do well to stay away from the antlered demon; that one can hurt you.” It traced a claw down his cheek, and over his collar bone, “And we don't want you dead. No no,” it murmured, tapping its claw against his heart, “You are much more fun alive.”

Winston’s whimpers turned into growls and Will stood up and opened the door. As soon as he did so, Winston came barreling out and started barking viciously at the demon.  
The demon hissed back at Winston before it disappeared. As soon as it was gone Winston quieted, and came over to Will nudging at his hand for attention.

Will stared at him; that wasn't normal, none of his dogs reacted to the demons, because they weren't real.

Right?

#

Hannibal sat inside his study, perfectly composed, unbothered by the mundane things of other people's lives. At least, that’s how it looked. The tap, tap, tapping of his finger against the arm of his chair betrayed his calm facade.

Will Graham.  
Tap tap tap.

 

What to do, about Will Graham.  
Tap tap tap.

He was an unexpected variable.  
How should he deal with Will Graham?  
Tap tap tap.

Will Graham was dangerous,  
Tap tap tap.

But did Hannibal truly care about that?  
Tap tap-- his finger halted.

No, that added danger simply made Will all the more interesting.

It was decided then, he wouldn't kill Will, or perhaps he should say, he couldn't kill Will, even though he was a seer.

But Hannibal would be careful, he had thought Will unable to see through his mortal guise, that he was just a human. But Hannibal had been wrong.

And more importantly he would be careful with Will. He hadn't known other demons had access to him, but that was about to change.

Hannibal rose, snapping his fingers and disappearing in a cliche puff of smoke.

He reappeared in Wolf Trap, Virginia, just out of view of Will's house.

He called for the hellhound he had sent to watch Will. But there was no response, which was rather, odd. No matter, he didn't need it for this task, so he put off finding out just what was keeping it from listening to a his summoning for another day.

He crept forward, extending his senses. He didn't sense anything until he was closer to the house, only then could he feel the presence of other demons. Hannibal concealed his own presence further, for he was uninterested in them knowing he was there quite yet.

No, he wished to relish in their fear when they realized just who Will had attracted this time.

It was easy to kill them. And kill them he did, without finesse; he wasn't seeking to make art like he was other times he killed. For now, for those who had access to his Will long before him, those who were unworthy to even look upon him; Hannibal simply wanted their death by his hand.

And it was incredibly easy to tear off their limbs, their wings, and tear out their teeth. He relished in the fear they felt just before the life left their eyes, and he took nourishment from their flesh and their death.

After he had killed them all, Hannibal decided on whim to leave the bodies for Will to find. He wondered how he would react.

 

#

Will stumbled out of bed, clothes soaked with sweat, nightmares had plagued him through the night, briefly finding respite from them with a dream of his demon, which had almost made the nightmares worth it, and he awoke with a strong craving for coffee.

Taking the first glorious sip of coffee was his favorite thing to do in the morning. It also had the added benefit of waking him up enough to pay attention to his surroundings.  
Winston, he now noticed was staring intensely at the front door.

“You need to go out boy?” Will murmured sleepily, walking over to open the door. Winston darted out around his legs, and Will cursed; there was probably an animal out there or something.

Quickly he followed him out, not bothering to stop and pull on a coat or shoes but taking his coffee mug with him.

“Winston!” He called, his eyes briefly scanning the surroundings, “Now where could he have run off to?” he muttered under his breath, before he halted.

Slowly, he turned back to look once more at his surroundings.

There on the bottom porch step was an arm, a little ways past it was the bottom half of a torso, draped over the rail of the deck were a pair of wings, And right in front of him was a neat pile of what looked distinctly like hearts.

“Oh God.” He didn't feel his hand let go of the coffee mug, nor did he feel the scorch of the coffee spilling on his feet right before it hit the deck and shattered into pieces.

No, Will felt none of that, in fact he really didn't feel anything at all.

Except for maybe horror.

#

Hannah was confident that Will would come to see him today. And he was curious to see what Will thought of his gift.

Would he like it? Or would he react like a human would?

There was a pounding on his door and before Hannibal could reach it, it burst open and Will came stumbling in and covered in blood, wearing ratty pants and a loose t-shirt.

Hannibal inhaled sharply, he hadn't quite been prepared for how well the color suited Will.

“There were so many bodies, Hannibal.” Will whispered, his face pale and his hands possessed by errant shakes.

“There were so many bodies and I didn't know what to do.” He sat down without seeming to decide to, his knees now by his chin, his arms curled around them.

Hannibal had miscalculated, he'd forgotten that Will was still human enough not to react well to waking to find bodies and body parts littered across his yard. But Hannibal could still turn this around and use this to his advantage.

“What did you see, Will?” He asked gently, 

Will ran a blooded shaking hand over his mouth before answering “I saw chaos and death and hidden under all that horrible brutality, I saw motive. Jealousy, hunger, and terrifying affection.”

He lifted his blood shot eyes to stare at Hannibal, “I think it was meant to be a gift.” He said oh so quietly, as if he feared to breath life into those words.

Internally Hannibal positively beamed, while on the outside he was careful to keep his concerned facade and not let slip how pleased he was by Will's words.

“What did you think of the gift?”

Hannibal knew he was pushing, perhaps more than he should, but he desperately wished to know, and Will's answer would help him refine his method and give gifts Will actually liked in the future.

“It was…” Will breathed in shakily before continuing, “Enthralling, horrifying, and utterly captivating.”

Will cocked his head, focusing once again on Hannibal but this time with unfogged eyes.

“But why haven't you asked why I didn't go to the police?”

“Because dear Will, I know you would have done so already if you could.”

Will rubbed his hands on his jeans nervously, his eyes focused downwards, “You're right, I can't go to the police. But that's not because I did anything wrong. It's because I see-” he stopped, unwilling or unable to finish his words.

And so Hannibal finished them for him “Because you see things that no one else does.”

Will's head jerked up to stare at Hannibal in shock.

“You knew?!”

“Yes.” Hannibal confirmed, “I have been aware of it since our first few sessions.”

“Why did you clear me for field work?” Will asked in a whisper.

“Because, dear Will, it does not impede you from your work, and just because no one else can see what you do does not make it any less real.”

Will breathed shakily for a moment, “You think they're real?” 

Hannibal tilted his head, “In same sense of the word, I believe so, yes.”

That should be vague enough to not reveal himself, but still hint at things Will wasn't ready to acknowledge yet.

“Do you know the things I see?” Will asked.

“No, I do not.” Hannibal lied.

“Then how can you trust what I see to have even a kernel of truth?”

Hannibal smiled, “Because I trust you.”

Will was shocked speechless, for a moment, before breaking down into hysterical laughter.  
When his mirth had finally calmed down, and he was wiping tears from his eyes he responded, “I didn't know I needed a friend like you. Hell, I didn't even know I needed anyone at all, let alone that I could have you.”

He stood up, “Thank you, Hannibal”.

“Of course.” Hannibal replied, standing up as well, “Would you like some assistance cleaning up the bodies?”

“No, I already burned them all.” Will said, before suddenly asking, “Do you see the blood staining my hands and clothes?”

“No, I do not.” Hannibal lied again.

“There you have it” Will answered with a ruthful twist of his mouth.

“I'll see you next week.” Will called as he headed out the door.

Yes, Hannibal thought, he would, but he'd also see him sooner than that.

#

What if what he saw was real? Will actually considered the question for the first time since he was a child.

What if there was more to it than simply not fitting in with the rest of the world?

What if he didn't actually belong here? Not truly.

His head swirled with questions, and no solid answers were making themselves clear.

Damn Hannibal for making him question the way of the world, when he had been so sure that the things he saw were just hallucinations.

Damn him for being the first real friend Will had ever had, damn him for being so goddamn perfect and making Will want more than a simple friendship.

Damn it all to hell.

Will put aside such thoughts for now, turning over in his bed. He should sleep and deal with everything else in the morning. Yes, sleep sounded wonderful; he closed his eyes.

He opened to find himself in his demon’s home again.

“Will.” 

He turned around and there stood his demon, antlers curving up and out, the slight point of fangs poking from between his smiling lips, his burning red eyes full of joy to see him.

“Hello,” he said, Will cocked his head regarding him intensely, “Are you real?” He asked.

The demon smiled, “That depends on how you see the world.” It turned from him, motioning with a clawed hand for him to follow.

They walked through the windy hallways of the demon’s home, and Will wondered like he often did If this place was a mansion or a palace, or perhaps something else altogether.

He watched the way the demon moved, graceful and sure, quiet and deadly, they were all clear in every line of its body.

He'd noticed the second time he'd visited this place and the demon, that it bore a striking resemblance to Hannibal. Not just in features, but in the way it talked, the way it moved, even down to the presence he felt whenever he was around Hannibal.

And he'd seen the demon, in Hannibal, from time to time if he turned his head just right he could catch a glimpse of its shape curled around Hannibal's body. He'd even made a game of it when he didn't wish to answer Hannibal's questions or if he wished to irritate him, nothing seemed to get under Hannibal's skin quite like being ignored.

He wasn't a fool; he'd noticed those things, but in the sea of all the confusion and half formed questions inside his head, what did those observations mean?

They came to a door, the demon opened it and let them into a sitting room. It was grand but more subdued than the other rooms Will had seen. A fire crackled merrily with a fur rug in front of it. It all didn't quite seem the demon’s style, and Will had a feeling that this room had been chosen deliberately for him.

“Take a seat.” The demon said.

Once they were settled, they regarded each other in silence. Finally, the demon spoke.

“Did you enjoy my gift?”

Will's brow furrowed, gift? What gift could he possibly be talking about..? Then it came to him, his eyes widening, his muscles tensing.

The demon smiled, sharp fangs on display.

“Is that a no?”

“Why would you leave that for me?” Will stuttered; maybe he should've expected it of the demon, but it had never shown its cruel side to him.

“I thought you might enjoy it,” it murmured, not mocking, but unrepentant of its actions.

“No,” Will said, leaning forward, anger in every taut line of hid body, “I think you did it purely for your sake.”

It inclined its head, “Perhaps. But,” it continued with that smile, “I did leave you a gift.”

Will scoffed, “If you're talking about the pile of hearts left on my doorstep, I didn't want those.”

“No?” Asked the demon, “I've heard heart is a rare and savory dish.”

Will froze; he'd noticed that some of the bodies weren't merely disconnected from its parts, but seemed to be missing them.

“You…” he paused not wanting to force the words out, “You ate them?”

“Yes.” The demon hummed.

“Oh God.” Will covered his face with his hands, he didn't want to process this. He wanted these dreams to a be a safe haven from all the death and carnage he encountered at work. But instead he'd found a creature in his dreams who relished in all the things he wished he didn't see.

He stumbled out of his chair running for the door, “Will!” The demon called behind him, but he didn't care. He had to get away from here, away from it.

He slammed open the door-

-and jolted awake in his bed. He slowly sat up, taking deep breaths to calm his heart beat.  
Hearts, fuck, the demon had left him literal hearts.

A warm tongue licked across his hand, he looked down meeting Winstons familiar eyes. Running his hand along Winston’s fur, he talked out loud,

“What am I going to do? What am I going to do if it's all real?” He murmured.

#

 

After leaving another sounder of three, Hannibal took pleasure in watching the FBI run around like headless chickens.

He stood off to the side, watching the forensic team exam the bodies he'd left for them,

“Hannibal,” called Jack Crawford, hurrying over to him.

“Jack.” Hannibal responded pleasantly, holding his hand out politely.

Jack shook it quickly, before letting it go, “I'm sorry to have called you in, but we're in need of help. Has Will contacted you?”

“No, he has not. Why, what is this about?” Hannibal asked, his interest piqued.

Jack sighed, a gusty exhale of air from his lungs, “He quit.”

Hannibal blinked, “He quit?” He parroted.

“Yes” Jack said, nodding his head, “He came in here like a man possessed the other day and quit.”

“Ah.” Hannibal responded, still not quite computing, Will quitting had certainly not been anticipated.

“Hannibal.” Jack said, dragging his attention back to him, “I need you to do me a favor.”

Hannibal raised his eyebrows in question.

“I need you to take these photos to him, and have him look them over.” Jack continued, pulling out a file that no doubt held pictures of Hannibal's three victims. 

“I know he wants space, and that I have no right to ask this of him, but Hannibal- you must understand- he's saving lives, and especially with this case, we need his help.” 

It truly was rather rude of Jack to ask him to impede upon Will in such away, but this gave Hannibal a rather splendid excuse to see Will sooner rather than later.

He took the file Jack was holding out, tucking it under his arm, “I understand the urgency of the situation, and I am happy to help the FBI in any way.”

“Thank you, Hannibal.” Jack said with true gratitude in his eyes.

Hannibal gave him a brief nod of goodbye before setting off to go see Will.

#

Hannibal pulled up to Will's house, to find them, Will and all his dogs, outside.

He stepped from his car and saw the hellhound he had sent here standing beside Will.

Covertly, he attempted to call it over.

It didn't respond.

Hannibal barely refrained from laughing out loud; it looked like the hellhound had switched allegiance, not that he could blame it. Will most likely gave it a name, a home, and love.  
None of which Hannibal had thought it needed; it had been a tool to him. So no, he did not blame it for its choice.

“Will!” He called, balancing the food he had brought in one hand while waving at Will with the other.

Will raised a hand in greeting, before whistling for the dogs, and heading back to his house.

Hannibal followed them in, Will holding the door open for him.

The inside of Will's house was nothing grand, but it was full of Will's things and Will's tastes, and so Hannibal liked it.

“What brings you here?” Will asked, curiosity plain on his face.

“I was sent by uncle Jack.” Hannibal replied, unwinding the scarf he was wearing.

Will's demeanor darkened, displeased by the news, “Jack has no right to use you as errand boy, or to ask favors of me.”

Hannibal hummed in agreement.

“What case did he want help with this time?” Will asked wearily,

“The Chesapeake Ripper one.”

“Ah.” Will responded, “I should've guessed. That one’s become his new obsession.”

He sat down on his couch, holding out his hand for the file he knew Hannibal was carrying.

“I also brought dinner.” Hannibal felt the need to add as he handed over the file.

Will laughed, “I expected nothing less of you.”

Hannibal prepared the dish while Will looked through the file.

Soon enough they were both done with their tasks, and Will joined Hannibal in setting the table.

Only once they were sitting did Will ask “So what are we eating? Lambs brain? Pickled lungs?” A sparkle in his eyes making it clear he wasn't mocking Hannibal.

“None of the above,” Hannibal replied, “Today the dish is baked heart with rosemary.” 

He pulled off the lid with a flourish, to reveal the heart within.

Hannibal seated himself and looked at Will to see the reaction; surely he had pieced it together by now. Hannibal had left enough hints for his clever, clever Will to see the truth, whether he wanted to or not.

#

Heart.

The dish Hannibal was serving him was heart.

Oh God.

The words from the file played through his head, “One of the victims was missing a kidney, the other was missing their liver, and the last was absent of a heart.”

The demon, Hannibal, the Ripper.

They couldn't all be the same. 

Maybe it was all just a coincidence, a huge misunderstanding.

He looked up from the heart, staring into Hannibal's eyes, hoping to find the answer in them.

And he did, just not the one he wanted.

On the surface his eyes were kind, but the longer Will stared, the clearer he could see the red bleeding through, the promise of chaos and death hidden under a perfectly crafted mask.

Oh God.

It was true.

He leaped out of his chair, stumbling over his own feet in his haste.

“You're him,” he whispered, backing up slowly, “You're the devil hiding behind the face of an angel.”

And Hannibal, Hannibal smiled.

“Well done, my darling boy. I knew given the right direction you would figure it out.”

“You wanted me to know?!” Will choked out.

“Oh.” He breathed out, realization setting in, “You plan to kill me.” It was logical, Will shouldn't expect anything else, and yet he still felt a deep disappointment churning in his stomach; he didn't want the person he had called friend to be the one to kill him.

“No.” Hannibal said emphatically, his chair screeching back.

“No.” He said again more quietly, “I do not wish to kill you.”

“Then what do you want?!” Will exclaimed, his voice rising in volume.

Hannibal took a slow step towards him, stopping when he saw Will tense.

“I want your eyes to be open to the world around you, I want you to embrace the parts of yourself that you keep hidden away.” He paused, “I want your company with me, without all the facades, I want to see you for who you truly are and not just the face you show the world. And I want you to see me, all of me, without running away.”

Hannibal went silent, turning his head from Will, for he had made himself too vulnerable and it was clear to Will that he didn't wish to betray anything else.

“You're a demon.” Will said.

“Yes,” Hannibal replied simply, still not looking at him, for once their roles reversed.

“But you're not like the other ones, the ones that you killed.” Will continued, cautiously.

“I am not.” 

“What makes you different?” Will asked.

“Those other demons, they were weak.” Hannibal replied, the curl of his lip in distaste barely seen.

“I am much older and stronger than them.” He continued.

“Why have I never seen one like you?” Will questioned.

“Because ones like me must be summoned.”

Summoned, Will let that settle in, summoned. He had an awful inkling as to how Hannibal had been summoned.

He licked his lips nervously before daring to blurt his question that he really didn't think he'd like the answer to.

“Did I summon you?”

Hannibal finally faced him fully again, a fond smile alight on his face.

“Yes. You did, dear Will. Even if it was happenstance that made you the summoner and not Garret Jacob Hobbs.”

Will breathed out a shaking breath, his fears had been confirmed.

“Can I send you back?” 

Hannibal's smile widened, showing the points of his teeth, “No.”

Will eyed him, he was unsure what to expect of him now. The demon, he could at least guess it's actions, the Ripper, he could feel his motivations, and Hannibal, he could read his face.  
But altogether, they were entirely unpredictable.

“What are you going to do now? Continue murdering people to your heart's content? Or maybe you don't have one seeing as how you seem so obsessed with everyone else's.”

Hannibal clicked his tongue disapprovingly, “That was rather rude, Will.”

Will scoffed, “You've never cared before.”

Hannibal accepted that with a nod of his head before answering, “To put plainly, yes, that is exactly what I plan to do. Although I'm not going to spend all my time doing pest control, I do spend my time doing other things you know.” He sounded rather miffed at the idea of being nothing but a killing machine.

Which Will supposed the murder and cannibalism were not all that made Hannibal, but it was indeed a prominent part of Him.

Will registered part of what Hannibal had said, zeroing in on a particular word 

“Pest?!” He shouted, “You think humans are nothing but pests?!” He paused and continued more quietly, “You think I'm nothing but a pest?”

Hannibal's eyes widened, that was clearly not how he meant that to be received, although how exactly he had expected it to be taken another way was beyond Will.

“No no no, that's not what I meant at all dear Will.” Hannibal rushed out.

He'd unbalanced him, the longer this conversation dragged on the more Will found he absolutely loved unbalancing Hannibal.

He stopped himself in his tracks, what was he thinking?! Nothing about this conversation was enjoyable; he should be coming up with plans on how to banish or kill Hannibal!

And yet, the thought of losing the only friend he had in the world was a thought he did not wish to entertain.

He focused back on the matter at hand, “How did you mean for it to be taken then, Hannibal?!” He exclaimed, exasperated.

“I didn't, “ Hannibal stumbled over his words before catching himself and carefully saying, “I forgot you didn't know.”

Will froze, dread slithered up his spine, and though he wished not to, he asked. “What don't I know?”

“You've asked all the important questions, dear Will, except for the one that pertained to you.”

Will swallowed around his suddenly dry throat, “What do you mean?” 

Hannibal cocked his head, clearly enjoying having the reins back in his hands.

“Why haven't you asked, why you can see me? And the other demons?”

Will's breath caught. He hadn't asked, and in some distant part of himself, he had never intended to; most of him didn't want to know the answer. But there were the parts of him, parts that he kept hidden away that reared their heads in curiosity. No, he didn't want to know the answer to that question, but for his sake, he needed to.

“Why?” He breathed.

“You see, dear Will.” Hannibal spoke, “You are not quite human either.”

Will's lungs stuttered, like they had suddenly forgotten how to function properly.

“What am I?” Will whispered.

“You are a seer. The only one left alive, to my knowledge.” Hannibal replied.

Will swallowed, “What happened to the rest?”

“I killed them.” Hannibal responded without hesitation.

Will laughed shakily, “You still expect me to believe that you won't kill me?”

Hannibal didn't reply, instead watching him, waiting for the next question he knew would come.

“Why did you kill them?” Will finally asked.

There was silence for a time, while Hannibal carefully picked which words to say.

“They were the ones that bound the other demons and I, so that we could not come to this world unless summoned. They were the ones that put restrictions on our powers and dared to think they could control us.”

“Oh.” Will responded, numbly.

“I'm dangerous to you then?” He found himself asking without meaning to.

Hannibal hesitated, before replying, “Yes, you are the only one in the world who is a threat to my freedom.”

“Why?” Will pleaded, “Why am I still alive then?!” 

“Because, dear Will.” Hannibal said gently, with such open affection in those dangerous eyes, “You are precious above all else to me.”

Will was shocked into silence, his words fleeing from him at the speed of light. And all he could manage to get out was another soft

“Oh.”

Hannibal retrieved his scarf, preparing to leave, and Will did nothing to stop him.

“I shall leave you to think things over.” Hannibal said opening the door, “But once you have thought about it, come to my home, and I believe I will have the solution to both of our problems.” And with that he left.

Leaving Will alone in world he no longer understood, with a human heart still warm on the table.

Fuck, Will thought. He'd left the god damn heart.

Damn that conniving bastard to hell.

#

Will thought, he slept, he ate, he drank until he passed out, and he thought some more.

He shut himself away, letting his phone battery die and taking a long walk through the nearby woods with the dogs whenever he heard a car approaching. And the one time Jack had caught him at home, he had refused to open the door no matter how hard he pounded on it, or pleaded for Will to come help with just one last case.

Will ignored it all, for it was no longer Jack's words whispering into his ears and telling him what to think. It was Hannibal's words instead that occupied and swirled around inside his mind, telling him to think for himself above all else.

So Will took the time to think things over, then he took some more, and finally, after two weeks of silence, he plugged his phone in and texted Hannibal for his address.

#

The next day, Will found himself in front of Hannibal's door. He hesitated a moment before gathering his resolve and knocking.

The door swung open. “Will,” Hannibal greeted with a smile.

Will gave him a curt nod and brushed past him.

“May I take your coat?” Hannibal asked, always the kind host; that was, until you got on his bad side and he served you for dinner, Will reflected.

Will hesitated a moment before giving it to him. It wasn't that big of a deal, it was just a coat, and it's not like it could stop a knife or claw, if Hannibal decided to go back on his word and kill him.

“This way.” Hannibal said, leading the way through his house into a lavish dining room.

“Have a seat, the food is almost ready.” 

Will gingerly sat down, wondering if he dared ask if the food was human or not.

Hannibal came back with several steaming dishes, all of which were thankfully vegetarian foods.

As soon as Hannibal sat down, he decided to cut right to the chase, “What is the solution to both our problems that you spoke of?” 

Hannibal set down the fork and knife he had just picked up, “Don’t you wish to at least try the food first before you start your interrogation?”

Will stabbed his fork viciously into the mound of vegetables on his plate and brought the ones it skewered to his mouth. There was a hint of ginger mixed in with other spices and Will was surprised to find it was actually quite delicious.

Not that he'd tell Hannibal that.

“Happy?” He shot back.

Hannibal sighed, but nonetheless focused all his attention on Will. 

“You wish for me to stop killing people and leave this world, correct?” He asked Will.

Will nodded slowly in response, wary.

“And I wish for your continued company and friendship.” Hannibal continued absently folding over the corner of his napkin.

Will was getting a bad feeling about this.

“The solution is quite simple really.”

He paused for a moment before saying “I will leave this world of my own accord, if you join me.”

And there it was, the bombshell that no matter how hard Will had thought it over, hadn't anticipated.

“You-” he started before stopping and dumbly saying, “What.”

“I'll leave the human world alone for the next hundred years or so, if you come back with me to the demon world.”

Hannibal repeated those damning words that Will had been hoping he'd misheard.

“Let me get this straight.” He said putting his hands on the table and standing up, “You want me to come live with you in the demon world, where I'll, what?! Keep you company?!” He exclaimed.

“That is correct.” Hannibal replied, unphased.

Will slowly sat back down, “And if I do that you'll stop murdering people left and right?”

“I would stop killing humans and return to the demon world.”

Will squinted at him, that was a careful way of wording it, “Do you mean to say that you'll stop killing humans and go back to killing other demons?”

Hannibal didn't dignify that with a response.

Will sighed; he supposed that was as probably as good a deal as he was going to get.

“What do I get out of it other than moral high ground?” Will asked. He didn't think Hannibal would throw anything else in but he figured it was worth a shot.

“A place to belong, and a tutor to teach you just what it means to be a seer.” Hannibal answered.

That, well that honestly didn't sound that bad.

“I'm guessing you’re the tutor you're referring to?” Will queried.

“Of course.” Hannibal responded as if there wasn't even the possibility of another answer.

Will sighed, slouching in his seat, tilting his head back to stare at Hannibal's imperiously tall ceiling. 

It really wasn't a bad deal; he'd keep the world safe from Hannibal, go to a world he'd never been to, live in a snazzy home, and live with his friend- the person he just might have, maybe, been starting to consider as someone other than just a friend.

Who knows, maybe after he got used to all the murder and mayhem Hannibal seemed to trail in his wake, he'd start thinking about the possibility of love again.

“Would I be able to bring my dogs?” He asked. 

He heard Hannibal sigh, “If you must.” He replied, reluctance clear in his voice.

Will sat back up, his decision made, “Alright. I accept your deal.”

“You do?” Hannibal said, as if he didn't quite believe it.

“Yes.” Will answered.

A smile split across Hannibal's face, and Will could honestly say he'd never seen him look so happy before.

“Splendid.”

Will rubbed his hands together choosing to ignore that he was the source of that glorious smile, “Now when do we leave?”

“Not until after dinner, of course.” Hannibal replied, refocusing on his meal.

“Of course.” Will muttered in exasperation, but he couldn't stop the way his mouth twitched up in a small grin.

**Author's Note:**

> Thanks for reading! If you liked this let me know in the comments below.


End file.
